Jim Riggs at the Wurlitzer "Dance of the Blue Danube" Duet

This is the jazzy foxtrot "Dance of the Blue Danube" and is one of my "Phantom Duets" where I enhance vintage 1920's Ampico reproducing piano rolls (in this case, one attributed to Vincent Lopez) with the incredible depth and richness of the Wurlitzer Pipe Organ. The perfect combination! (and a real gas to play, too!)

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Riggs
• Wurlitzer
• Theatre
• Pipe
• Organ
• Danube
• nostalgia
• foxtrot
• jazzy
• Ampico
• Duet

[Brandotuomikoski]

Who is playing the piano. It is awsome

[WillardPugh]

The piano part is actually a player piano roll from the 1920s. This one is attributed to Vincent Lopez, a pianist/bandleader very popular back then. His specialty was ornamentation: arpeggios, breaks and such. Most (if not all) piano rolls with his name attached include the designation "Assisted", meaning he might have originated the musical ideas but they were likely played by someone else. Still, the piano arrangement IS superb, regardless of who actually played the notes. Glad you enjoyed it!

[KawhackitaRag]

By the way, I love Ampico rolls, but you should know that all Ampico rolls listed as "assisted" on the roll means that it was entirely ghosted in the artist's name by someone else; in this case, Edgar Fairchild or Adam Carroll.

[WillardPugh]

You are quite right. Lopez was "assisted" on just about every roll with his name on it. Those well familiar with his (dance orchestra) work have told me his specialty was ornamentation and other frippery.

[bigcity233]

Great duet!! - I hope you post more! I'll look for the CD. Vincent Lopez was associated with a number of Ampico recordings. For a second, I was surprised to see a Steinway grand playing Ampico. Then I realized it was a mondern Steiway with a digital player. Digitizing these Ampico (and Duo-Art) rolls is the only way to preserve these irreplacable time capsules of music.

[WillardPugh]

The Steinway has a PianoDisc. We would play a piano track while recording both it and my organ "enhancement" into the organ relay. It's a great gimmick, no?

[lagerandwine]

Looks like ground control at nasa, but sounds heavenly. Over.

[sammee6602]

Keep the music playing Mr. Riggs.

[ThePilot314]

handmade music .......... wonderful

PLEASE MORE!

[Dojora4]

@Marshall7302 I'm pretty sure the console is actually a Hope Jones... it was last used to control Dick Simonton's 4/36 Wurlitzer in his basement in the Los Angeles area. The core of the pipe work came from the Miller theatre in Wichita.

[ThePilot314]

1.000 points for such a nice music!

Those happy days ............ they gone, BUT come back via You Tube!

Thank you so much!

[EdJoeDePremio]

I love Jim's Music I can lisson for hours

[Streetcar1743]

With my joining the St. Louis chapter of the American Theatre Organ society, I learn some of the popular accompianment techniques that professinoal theatre organsits use. I just created an exersice using the "Pedal-Chord" meovement on my Miditzer and that way, I can have something to watch.

[ComposerTX]

Originally from a temple in Buffalo, I think. Console currently controlling 30 ranks of pipes at the Little River Studio in Wichita, Kansas. Wichita Theatre Organ produces 6 concerts a year, 2 per weekend, worth the trip.

[Marshall7302]

what opus is this console? Cuz ive never seen a wurlitzer with three full rows of stoptabs like that. where is this organ and is the console and pipe work original?

[megablocksmad]

most organs the stop tabs from right to left are top to bottom